12 striking photos of soldiers and civilians commemorating Veterans Day

U.S soldiers stand silent and bow their heads during a ceremony marking Veterans Day at the U.S main air base in Bagram, northern part of Kabul, Afghanistan, Nov. 11, 2006. Associated Press

Veterans Day is a holiday where Americans celebrate and honor those who have served.

The holiday originally started as a day to remember the sacrifices of American troops during WWI. Originally called "Armistice Day," it was first observed by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, making this year the 99th occasion.

In 1954, Congress and President Dwight D. Eisenhower passed a bill that made the holiday official. The name "Armistice Day" was changed to "Veterans Day" to honor all veterans from all of America's wars.

"Our veterans are our heroes," President Donald Trump said in a statement earlier this month, proclaiming November as National Veterans and Military Families Month. "Our Armed Forces have preserved the security and freedom that allow us to flourish as a Nation."

These photos show the way veteran, active duty soldiers, and civilians celebrate Veterans Day:

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Veterans Day started first as a day to remember the sacrifices of American troops during WWI — here, an effigy of ex-Kaiser Wilhelm is carried by crowds during an impromptu parade on Armistice Day in New York in 1918.

These two women, saluting at a Veterans Day parade in 2001, served as army nurses during WWII.

Remembrance is an important part of Veterans Day. Here, a man reaches up to touch a name upon the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC.

Paying respects to friends and comrades lost on the battlefield is a sacred duty to veterans. Army Sgt. James Luong of Chandler, Arizona, kneels at the grave of a friend at Arlington National Cemetery a day before Veterans Day.

US soldiers, sailors, and airmen around the world observe Veteran's Day, even on active duty in warzones. These US soldiers attended a ceremony commemorating Veterans Day at the Bagram airfield north of Kabul in 2011.